EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 331 



brid like this, for the whole plant varies from habit of growth 

 to the notches in the leaves, some are dwarf, others tall, some 

 smooth, others spinose, some green, others purple, some fruitful, 

 others entirely barren, all of which differences enforce the rule 

 that hybrids may give rise to many types and some of them are 

 not easily accounted for from a study of their immediate parents 

 only. 



The Spinoseness of Eggplants. 



One of the objectionable features — perhaps the chief — in hand- 

 ling eggplants is the stiff prickles that are usually present upon 

 the base of the calyx and the stem of the fruit. This trouble- 

 some spinoseness has stimulated seedsmen to place the term 

 "spineless' or "smooth" in the trade names of their eggplants 

 long before the facts in the case would fully warrant it. The 

 person who has been familiar with the crop in question in a prac- 

 tical way can speak feelingly upon this point and may agree that 

 any efforts to eliminate the prickers are along a desirable line. 



The "spines" in question are evident before the flower-bud is 

 open and this renders it easy to decide early in the life of the 

 plant as to its freedom from prickles; in fact an earnest of the 

 spinoseness may be gained from the stems and foliage of the 

 young plant before it has begun to form any organs for repro- 

 duction. The prickers are in particular upon the lower side of 

 the main veins of the leaf, and may be quickly detected by draw- 

 ing the back of the hand along under the leaves while they are 

 still small. In the worst cases of spinoseness the objectionable 

 sharp outgrowth is upon the stems in nearly all their parts. 



A good opportunity of displaying the relative amount of spino- 

 seness is offered by the young fruits taken soon after the corolla 

 falls. Such a set is shown in Plate XVIII., in the order of the 

 numbers in the engraving, upon which the following very brief 

 notes are made : 



"Black Snake" (2). Practically spineless. 

 "Black Pekin" (3). Practically spineless. 

 "New York Spineless" (9). Far from smooth. 

 "Early Dwarf Purple" (s). Spineless. 

 "Florida High Bush" (8). Very spiny. 



